The Latest

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Schedules Plus is
another innovative application of the historical ratings statistic
A18-49+. I hope this will be the ultimate resource for comparing the
evolution of shows, networks and timeslots over time, complete with
ratings numbers that make a fair adjustment for the collective decline. Right now this only includes programs aired in the fall. Much more about the process that went into this at the bottom.

ABC Sunday looks at one of the most consistent lineups on any network. Setting aside that America's Funniest Home Videos is always at 7:00, the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Desperate Housewives pairing aired together for seven full seasons (plus a few extra weeks at the beginning of fall 2011). Perhaps even more improbable was five full seasons out of a completely intact four-hour lineup during the Brothers & Sisters years.ABC Sunday

8:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

10:00

10:30

Avg

2001-02

(movies)

Alias

The Practice

102

77

104

125

2002-03

(movies)

Alias

The Practice

91

61

101

111

2003-04

10-8

Alias

The Practice

80

61

92

86

2004-05

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Desperate Housewives

Boston Legal

184

171

261

120

2005-06

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Desperate Housewives

Grey's Anatomy

206

147

249

223

2006-07

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Desperate Housewives

Brothers and Sisters

152

131

201

124

2007-08

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Desperate Housewives

Brothers and Sisters

156

138

203

128

2008-09

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Desperate Housewives

Brothers and Sisters

135

113

176

115

2009-10

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Desperate Housewives

Brothers and Sisters

117

99

151

101

2010-11

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Desperate Housewives

Brothers and Sisters

104

90

136

87

2011-12

Once Upon a Time

Desperate Housewives

Pan Am

109

139

116

71

2012-13

Once Upon a Time

Revenge

666 Park Ave

101

129

101

72

2013-14

Once Upon a Time

Revenge

Betrayal

82

116

82

47

2014-15

Once Upon a Time

Resurrection

Revenge

90

130

74

66

Avg

114

146

105

122

2014-15 Update: One of the biggest surprises in the fall was just how heavily the use of Frozen characters boosted the early weeks of Once Upon a Time. Even with a significantly down second half, it ended up very close to even in raw numbers. Despite Once's fall boom, sophomore Resurrection completely melted down, but the network was still up in the last two hours since even those bad numbers crushed last year's Betrayal ratings. (And 9/8c midseason entry Secrets and Lies (89) also did well.) Still, Resurrection and Revenge were among the weakest links on the network, so they were both axed in favor of new dramas.

Notable midseason replacements:

Both Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Grey's Anatomy began their Sunday runs as midseason replacements. Home Edition averaged a 100 in 2003-04, becoming much stronger when Housewives came around, while Grey's averaged a 199 in 2004-05.

During the 2007-08 writer's strike, ABC briefly had an all-unscripted lineup on the night during the winter with Oprah's Big Give (112) at 9/8c and Here Come the Newlyweds (99) at 10/9c.